The first of three webinars in conjunction with the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research in New York, curated by historian Prof. Jeffrey Herf, on
THE ORIGINS AND IDEOLOGY OF HAMAS
will take place this coming Monday, February 26, at 1 pm. US Eastern Standard Time (7 pm Central European Time).
The topic on Monday is “Hamas and the Origins of Islamic Antisemitism.” Matthias Küntzel and Jeffrey Herf will present papers. The Director of YIVO, Jonathan Brent, will introduce and moderate the discussion. The second and third webinars will be on March 25, and April 16th.
The three webinars present work by historians and social scientists from the United States, Britain, Germany, and Israel. Here is the link to the series: https://yivo.org/
Click on the link and click “learn more” to see more information about the speakers, topics and registration. The webinar will be recorded.
Historians have demonstrated that Hamas is an organization with deep roots in reactionary, racist, and antisemitic traditions including those imported from Nazi and Soviet propaganda. Hamas’ recent ideological statements and activities confirm this. Decades before Hamas’ founding, antisemitism played a key role in the Arab Israeli war of 1948, and today it continues to influence discussions about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict among the Western Left. This series of three webinars, curated by historian Jeffrey Herf, will elucidate Hamas’ origins and ideology; demonstrate how the history of Islamic antisemitism sheds light on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; and explore discourse around the October 7th massacres.
PROGRAMS
Hamas and the Origins of Islamic Antisemitism
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2024 | 1:00pm ET
Live on Zoom
Historians Matthias Küntzel and Jeffrey Herf discuss the origins of Hamas, the history of Islamic antisemitism, and its causal significance in the war of 1947-1948.
Colonialism, Racism, and the Arab Israeli War of 1948
MONDAY, MARCH 25, 2024 | 1:00pm ET
Live on Zoom
Historians Benny Morris and Jeffrey Herf discuss the international politics surrounding Israel’s establishment, the causes and nature of the war of 1948, and the controversies of how this history is understood in contemporary discourse.
Responses to October 7th
TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2024 | 1:00pm ET
Live on Zoom
Historian Jeffrey Herf will lead a panel featuring scholars Meir Litvak, Norman Goda, Karin Stögner, and David Hirsh exploring responses to Hamas’ October 7th massacres and to the state of Israel’s subsequent military response.